Flying with kids on Southwest is NOT easy. My wife and I have flown several times with our 10 month old son, but never on Southwest before this past Thursday. Even though he is so clearly not even 1 yet, let alone too, the ticket agent and his manager refused to issue me my ticket until I could prove he was under 2. My wife emailed me a form showing his age and they said it wasn't any good, because my wife could have just made it up. After nearly a half hour of pleading my case, I finally found an online medical record that showed that he was well under 2. Then the agent did nothing to expedite my move through security or boarding. I darn near missed my flight, arriving on the plain sweaty, with a crying child, and half of my gear strewn about as I rushed through security. To top it off, I paid $12 to board early. Total money down the drain, and I ended up on a middle seat. Just absolutely terrible policy and despite what the ticketing agent said, there was NO clearly marked policy on SWA's web site saying that you have to bring a birth certificate. I cannot and will not recommend Southwest to my friends who are parents of young children. Why hassle when United, US Airways, and others will let you board with your infant child, with no questions asked?!
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